Compton Chamberlayne Beat 3

The River Nadder is the most substantial of the Avon's tributaries, rising at Donhead St Mary and winding through the Wiltshire countryside before reaching the Compton Chamberlayne estate. Beat 3 covers just under 0.4 miles of single-bank main river on this mixed-geology chalk stream, deeply incised, with a series of serpentine bends that slow the flow and create sequences of riffles leading into genuinely deep pools. Classed as a mixed-geology chalk stream, it flows over chalk where the main fishing action takes place but springs to life in the sands and clay beyond, meaning the water carries a faint tinge of colour compared to the Test or Itchen, but it is generally clear enough to spot the fish at which you are casting.

Brown and rainbow trout are present throughout the season, which runs from 18 April to 3 October, with up to six rods on the water. Stocking is heavy, so fish are reliably available, but the beat's character rewards patience and observation rather than blind searching. Fly-only rules apply, with dry fly from the off and nymphing permitted later in the season. The Nadder starts the season well with good hatches of grannom; the main event is always the mayfly, which can be spectacularly good even in poor visibility; and later in the season early morning and evening sedges give the best chance of good sport. The river has a healthy and diverse population of invertebrates with fly hatches throughout the season. A 9-ft to 10-ft rod for a 4- or 5-weight line suits the water well. A fishing hut on the beat provides shelter and a base for the day.